1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an IC socket having an IC platform capable of moving upwardly and downwardly, the platform with an IC body supported thereon being moved downwardly so as to bring leads projecting sidewardly of the IC body into contact with contacts arranged on a socket board.
2. Prior Art
In a conventional IC socket in which an IC platform supported by a socket body is resiliently carried and held in an upper position by a spring, an IC body is placed on the IC platform when the platform is held in the upper position, and the IC leads are then pushed down into a lower position from the upper position against the bias of the spring by a presser cover attached to the socket board, or a jig, so that the IC leads are brought into contact with contacts arranged on the socket board, a lower surface of the IC body is supported on an upper surface of the IC platform in order to bring the IC leads into contact with the contacts projecting sidewardly (outwardly) of the IC platform beyond a marginal wall thereof. Alternatively, the IC leads are allowed to project sidewardly with basal portions thereof supported on the marginal wall, and the lower surface of the IC body is floated above the upper surface of the IC table in order to realize a non-supported state.
On the other hand, the socket board includes a plurality of contacts to be contacted with the IC leads. Inclined wall surfaces are formed on both ends of a row of these contacts, and vertical wall surfaces are formed continuously from lower ends of these inclined wall surfaces. The reason for the foregoing arrangement is that as the IC platform with the IC body supported thereon is lowered, the IC leads at both ends of the row are guided by the inclined wall surfaces into a space between the vertical wall surfaces in order to regulate the IC leads at the ends of the row so that the leads are correctly aligned with the contacts.
Conventionally, the IC leads are frequently not in alignment with the contacts when the IC is placed on the IC platform. In the conventional manner, the IC leads are pushed down with the IC presser cover or jig, and the IC leads at the ends of the row are moved downwardly and in a horizontal direction along the inclined wall surfaces and into the space between the vertical wall surfaces so that the IC leads are correctly aligned with the contacts.
In the conventional plug-in type IC socket, it is necessary to correctly position the IC leads by applying correcting force thereto after the IC is placed on the IC platform. However, in both the example where the lower surface of the IC is supported on the upper surface of the IC platform and the example where the leads are supported on the marginal wall of the IC platform, there is a large amount of frictional resistance between the IC and the IC platform or between the IC and the marginal wall. As a result, the IC leads are not correctly introduced into the space between the vertical wall surfaces from the inclined wall surfaces, and when the IC leads are urged against the contacts with a presser means, excessive force is applied to the IC leads at the ends of the row, with the result that the IC leads are deformed and/or the IC leads cannot be correctly aligned with the contacts.
In recent years, there is a tendency to make IC leads smaller and smaller and thus more fragile. It is difficult, therefore, to move the comparatively heavy IC body against the frictional force by applying the correcting force to the leads, and such attempts often cause the leads to be deformed.